VYYNU ← What you prepare
Step by step

One key for hundreds of AI models.

OpenRouter is a hub for artificial intelligence: one account, one key – and your Companion can use many different AI models. This page takes you to your personal API key in 5 steps – no prior knowledge needed.

An email address (or a Google account) A debit or credit card for the credits About 10 minutes

Before you start: two terms, nothing more

OpenRouter
A middleman for AI. Instead of keeping a separate account with every provider (OpenAI, Google, DeepSeek …), you top up credits here once – and your Companion draws on them, no matter which model it uses.
API key
A long string of characters that works like a key: whoever has it can use AI models at your expense. It always starts with sk-or-v1-.
Full cost control: OpenRouter works with credits (prepaid) – like a phone top-up card. It can never spend more than you have loaded. Small amounts last surprisingly long.
The images are example sketches. OpenRouter changes the look of its pages from time to time. Buttons may therefore look slightly different – the terms, however, stay the same.
1

Create an account

In your browser: openrouter.ai

  1. Type openrouter.ai into your browser’s address bar and press Enter.
  2. Click “Sign in” in the top right.
🔒 openrouter.ai OpenRouter Models Chat Docs Sign in The Unified Interface For LLMs One account, one key – access to hundreds of AI models. 🔍 Search models … 1 · SIGN IN HERE
The home page – the sign-in button sits in the top right.
2

Sign in – easiest with Google

In the sign-in window

  1. Most convenient: click “Continue with Google” and pick your Google account – done, no new password needed.
  2. Alternatively: enter your email address, click “Continue” and follow the instructions (watch for the confirmation email).
🔒 openrouter.ai OpenRouter Models Chat Docs Sign in Sign in G Continue with Google 🐙 Continue with GitHub or Email address your.name@gmail.com Continue 1 · EASIEST WAY
“Continue with …” means just that: sign in with an account you already have.
Does signing up cost anything? No. The account itself is free – you only pay for the credits in the next step, and only as much as you decide yourself.
3

Add credits

Click your profile picture in the top right → Credits

  1. Click your profile picture in the top right and choose “Credits”.
  2. Click “Add Credits”.
  3. Choose an amount – $10 is a good start – and complete the payment by card (securely processed by the payment service Stripe).
🔒 openrouter.ai/settings/credits OpenRouter Models Chat Docs GAccountCreditsKeysActivitySettings Credits Current balance $ 0.00 Add Credits Amount $10 Checkout 1 · ADD CREDITS
Prepaid like a phone card: top up, done, no subscription trap.
Why credits at all? The AI models bill by usage – usually fractions of a cent per request. Without credits, the key will later only work with a few free models, which are often slow or overloaded. How quickly the credits shrink depends above all on the chosen model – more on that in a moment.
4

Create the key

Profile picture → Keys – or directly: openrouter.ai/settings/keys

  1. Open “Keys” via your profile picture.
  2. Click “Create Key”.
  3. Name: anything you like, e.g. your Companion’s name. Credit limit (optional): here you can set how many credits this one key may use at most – a sensible safeguard, e.g. 10.
  4. Click “Create”.
🔒 openrouter.ai/settings/keys OpenRouter Models Chat Docs GAccountCreditsKeysActivitySettings API Keys Manage your keys or create new ones. Create Key Create a Key Name VYYNU Credit limit (optional) 10 Create 1 · NEW KEY 2 · CREATE THE KEY
Give it a name, set a limit, create.
5

Copy the key right away and store it safely

In the window that appears right after creating

  1. Your new key is now displayed – it starts with sk-or-v1-. It is shown only this one time!
  2. Click the copy icon 📋 next to the key.
  3. Paste it into a safe place right away: a password manager, or a text file that lives only on your computer. Only then close the window.
🔒 openrouter.ai/settings/keys OpenRouter Models Chat Docs GAccountCreditsKeysActivitySettings Your new key ✓ Shown only this one time! sk-or-v1-a1b2c3d4… 📋 Done ⚠ Copy it and store it safely first, only then click “Done”! 1 · COPY NOW
The most important moment: copy first, then close.
Closed the window too soon? No big deal – but the key cannot be shown again. The fix: delete the old key in the list (trash icon) and simply create a new one. It costs nothing.

Done!

Your OpenRouter key is ready to use. Hand it to the program that needs it – for example by pasting it (Ctrl+V) into the field your Companion provides for it. You can check your balance and usage at any time under “Credits” and “Activity”.

The model: fixed and inexpensive

AI models bill by usage – and not all at the same price. That’s why you don’t have to choose anything here: we have set the model for your Companion and make sure it stays strong and inexpensive in everyday use.

Fixed setting: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash Fast, strong in everyday use and very inexpensive – your $10 of credits last for weeks with it. Switching is neither necessary nor intended.

Important: how to handle the key

The key is like a money card with credit on it. Please don’t put it on the public internet, don’t post it in forums or chat groups, and don’t send it by unencrypted email. If the key ever does fall into the wrong hands: delete it under “Keys” and create a new one – the old one is instantly worthless, your credits remain.

Common stumbling blocks

I forgot to copy the key

For security reasons, the key is shown only once. Delete the old entry in the key list and simply create a new one – it takes 30 seconds and costs nothing.

The Companion reports “Insufficient credits” or error 402

The credits are used up or the key’s limit has been reached. Add new credits under “Credits” or raise the key’s limit under “Keys”.

The key doesn’t work (“Invalid API key” / error 401)

Usually a copying error: a character is missing, or a space came along at the start or end. Safest fix: delete the old key, create a new one, and this time copy it with the copy icon 📋 instead of selecting it by hand.

How many credits do I need?

For a personal Companion in everyday use, $10 often lasts several weeks to months – depending on model and usage. You can see your usage at any time under “Activity” and simply top up when it runs low.

My credits are suddenly shrinking very fast

The model is fixed – fast usage usually comes from very many or very long tasks, such as large documents or extensive research. Under “Activity” on OpenRouter you can see exactly when how much was used. If something seems unusual, let the person who looks after your Companion know.

What the terms on the site mean

The most important ones: “Sign in” = log in to your account, “Credits” = your prepaid balance, “Add Credits” = top up that balance, “Keys” = your API keys, “Create” = create one, “Activity” = your usage overview, “Delete” = remove a key.